'Doctor Who' Recap: 'Knock Knock'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

​THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

One of the many things that just so happens to make Doctor Who a wonderful and inspiring show is that in many ways, it is accessible to fans from all walks of life because the series manages to find a way to transcend just about any genre out there. If you're a fan of science fiction you already know you're in for a fun time. But if you love dramas, romance and everything in between, well the Doctor finds a way to deliver on those fronts as well.

In fact, there really isn't a genre out there that Doctor Who cannot integrate into the series and for proof, well look no further than last night's episode, 'Knock Knock', since it managed to bring a slice of horror into the Doctor and Bill's lives by way of a creepy landlord and his equally creepy house that Bill, her new friends/flatmates and the Doctor found themselves trapped within because as it turns out, the landlord of this place was luring people into becoming tenants here for years in order to feed them to said house so that their energy would sustain his ailing daughter, who also happened to be made out of wood.

If anything, there was a lot to like about throwing some horror into the mix for a change, but we will get to that in just a moment because one of the great standouts of this particular episode was the complex monster featured this week, because the weekly beings that are featured this year on the show...are so completely non traditional. They're not pure evil, they're not out to conquer all of mankind, they're simply misunderstood and caught up in strange circumstances, and this week's episode was no exception to that rule since the Dryads, as the Doctor called them, were mere interstellar insects that did the Landlord a favor by keeping his daughter (later revealed to be his mother) alive, it's the Landlord that took advantage of them and made them into something evil, and truly it's neat to see mankind become more of the issue as series ten progresses since they simply don't understand what they are dealing with when it comes to these creatures, and it's equally awesome to see the show give us alien life that wasn't born with malevolence in its heart.

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As for the horror that was featured in this episode, well...that was just a pure treat. Everything about this story was a beautiful and wonderful throwback to horror stories of old and kudos are in order to the series for paying tribute to scares from around the globe. Not only did every single scene in the house evoke a feeling of classic Hammer horror films it also brought back fond memories of old Vincent Price movies such as House on Haunted Hill. But perhaps the biggest homage that stood out in my mind, was the episode's big time wink and nod to 1981's The Evil Dead by way of the moment when Felicity managed to escape the house, only to run into an awful fate in the trees that waited for her in the darkness. 

However, what truly stood out for me in this episode, is the continuing dynamic between the Doctor and Bill. They always seem to know what the other is thinking, and they always seem to know the right course of action and it's just magnificent to see the Doctor and his companion mesh this early into their voyages together. The awkward phase was quick and clean for these two and I'm equally appreciative of how much of the Doctor is rubbing off on Bill since she was equally as fearless as he was last night in uncovering the truth to the mystery surrounding the house and at this point, considering how well these two click on screen; I think it's safe to declare Peter Capaldi and Pearl Mackie as the finest Doctor and Companion duo of the modern Who era.

In the end however, it's clear this episode was simply about bringing the fun. We appear to have moved past the current grief that the Doctor has been carrying since last year and it was nice to see an Earth-bound adventure play out before our eyes. However, I don't think we've seen the last of the pain that the Doctor carries around in his two hearts. Despite the fact that this was a one off tale, the moment when Twelve glossed over regeneration and what it means for him and his kind strikes me as more pertinent than we might expect and clearly there's some serious guilt hanging over his head when it comes to whomever is locked up in the Vault, and it would seem we are drawing closer to the big reveal of exactly who that might be. Personally, I still think it's Missy, but time will tell. Until then. ​

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